Combination liquid container and filling and draining conduit



May 4, 1965 B. T. GROBOWSKI COMBINATION LIQUID CONTAINER AND FILLING AND DRAINING CONDUIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1963 INVENTOR. BEN 77 GROBOWS/(l.

May 4, 1965 B. 'r. GROBOWSKI 3,181,745

COMBINATION LIQUID CONTAINER AND FILLING AND DRAINING CONDUIT Filed May 14, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BEN 7.' GROBOWSK/ May 4, 1965 B. T. GROBOWSKI 3,181,745

COMBINATION LIQUID CONTAINER AND FILLING AND DRAINING CONDUIT Filed May 14, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BEN Z' GROBOWSK/ BY MAHO/VEX M/LLER 8 RAMBO ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,181,745 COMBINATION LIQUID CONTAINER AND FILL- ING AND DRAINING CONDUIT Ben T. Grobowski, Newark, Ohio, assignor to The E. T. Rugg Company, Newark, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 14, 1963, Ser. No. 280,309 3 Claims. (Cl. 222--539) This invention relates to a combination liquid container and filling and draining conduit. It has to do, more particularly, with a disposable container for oil or the like which is provided with closure means, and with conduit means associated therewith that can be connected to the container in such a manner that it can be used in dispensing the contents of the container into a motor crankcase or can be removed from the container and can be used in draining the crankcase.

The combination of this invention is particularly useful in connection with power mowers. These mowers commonly include a blade housing or guard having a motor on the upper side thereof and in several types of mowers this motor is provided with a crankcase having a removable plug for an opening through which the, crankcase may be both filled and drained. This opening is usually spaced from the periphery of the housing. This makes it difficult to pour oil .from a container through the opening or to drain oil through this opening or other drain provided. The opening is so located that it is diflicult to use an ordinary funnel in filling without spilling. Also, in draining the crankcase, it is necessary to tilt the mower and allow the oil to run over the housing or guard making a mess on the guard and also making it diflicult to collect it in a container.

According to this invention, the container in which the oil is sold to and supplied to the user is provided with a closure member on its neck and an associated conduit which is normally disposed within the container. By removal and repositioning of the closure, the conduit may be attached to the neck andwill extend therefrom a substantial distance so that it can be used as a filling spout. When the container is emptied, the conduit may be removed from the container and connected to the crankcase opening for draining, extending outwardly over the guard to a waste container.

In the accompanying drawing, the preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated and in this drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the filled container and cooperating closure with the filling and draining conduit device positioned therein.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 2a is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing another form of closure and filling and draining conduit device.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the conduit device of FIGURE 2 repositioned FIGURE 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showclosure and conduit unit is illustrated, numeral 13.

Theunit 13 includes a screw cap 14 which has a skirt that is adapted to screw onto the threaded neck 12. This generally, by the cap will also preferably be of suitable plastic. In the disc-like top of the cap it is provided with a central -r'nay be inserted within the outer end of the threaded nipple and will be retained therein by friction.

Thecontainer 10 may contain a suitable supply of oil.

For example, this may be oil for use in filling the crankcase of a small motor such as the type commonly used on a power lawn mower. The tube portion 16 is inserted in the filled container with the flange 18 resting on the outer edge of the neck 12. Cap 14 is then threaded onto the neck so that as it is positioned on the neck theupwardly projecting threaded nipple 19 will extend outwardly therethrough.

An example of the use of this container and conduit device, is illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4. First, it may be used in filling the crankcase of the motor M through the opening in the fitting O which is ordinarily closed by a removable threaded plug P. The sealed container of oil is opened by removing the cap 14 and repositioning the conduit device onthe neck of the container as shown in FIGURE 3 so that the hose 16 projects outwardly and the threaded nipple 19 projects inwardly. The dust seal plug 20 is removed from the nipple 19. The plugmay be removed or the end of the tube 16 may be snipped off to unseal the tube. The cap.14 is slipped over the end of the tube 16 and is screwed onto the neck 12. This will. clamp the flange 18 again'stthe outer edge of the neck. Then,

the end of the hose 16is inserted in the fill opening (FIG- I URE 4) and by squeezing the flexible plastic container, the contents of the container can'be quickly forced into the crankcase.

After the oil needs to be removed from the crankcase, the plug P is removed and the conduit 16 is removed from the container. The threaded nipple 19 (FIGURES 4 and 5) is then threaded into the opening from which the plug P has been removed. This nipple 19 will have the same standard thread as the plug P. The tube 16 may be ex-" tended over the guard G of the mower into a waste container W and if the mower is tipped, the oil will be drained from the crankcase.

The closure and conduit unit 13a illustrated in FIG- URE 2a is somewhat different in structure than that disclosed in FIGURES 2 and 3 but is' used in practically the same manner.

As before the hose 16a is provided and has a plug 17a in its inner end. The threaded nipple 19a at the outer end of the hose is the same as before and is provided with the flange 18a. However, in this instance the cap 14a is different. The cap 14a is shown more in detail in FIG- URE 7 and is provided with the opening 15a as before, but this opening is adapted to receive a removable flanged hollow sealing plug 20a. This plug flares outwardly toward its lower end and at such end is provided with a peripheral stop flange 20b. The plug 20a is mounted on the cap 14:: by inserting it upwardly or outwardly through the opening 15a until the flange 20b contacts the flange 15b around the openinglSa. The hollow plug 20a will serve as a cap extension for receiving the projecting nipple to represent the best embodiment.

r 3 19:: (FIGURE 2a) and will seal this end of the conduit hose.

When using this unit in the filling operation, the cap 14a is removed and the plug 20a is then removed from the cap by pushing it inwardly through the opening 15a. Then the nipple 19a is inserted in the neck 12a of the container and the cap 14a is slipped over the outer end of the hose and is screwed onto the neck retaining the flange 18a in position. In this condition, closure and conduit unit will appear exactly as the previously described unit is shown in FIGURE 3. The plug 17a is removed and the filling operation is then the same as indicated in FIG- URE 4. In the draining operation, the conduit unit is used exactly as before and as illustrated in FIGURES and 6. For this operation, unit 13a is removed from the container by removing the cap 14a and the nipple 19a is threaded into the drain opening of the crankcase, and the unit Will be exactly as indicated in FIGURE 5.

Thus, this invention will provide a simple, inexpensive and discardable means for filling and draining a crankcase without any waste or mess.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and have been illustrated and described in what is now considered However, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination, a container having a tubular neck of annular cross section with an outer extremity and with an exterior threaded surface and an interior unthreaded surface, and a closure and conduit device mounted on the neck; said closure and conduit device comprising a cap with a depending skirt of annular tubular cross section having a threaded inner surface adapted to be screwed onto said neck so as to surround and engage the threaded exterior surface of the neck, said cap having an inwardlydirected, annular clamping flange surrounding a central opening, a conduit tube having an axially-aligned, threaded nipple on one end of annular cross section with an annular sealing flange surrounding the nipple at a position spaced axially inwardly from its extremity and.

projecting peripherally therefrom, said nipple being of less diameter than said cap opening, and said unthreaded neck interior, said conduit tube being positioned with its annular sealing flange in engagement with the outer extremity of the neck and clamped thereagainst by the clamping flange on the cap and with its threaded nipple projecting outwardly through said opening and with the conduit tube extending into the interior of the container, said conduit tube being adapted to be repositioned with the flange and the nipple reversed so that the nipple extends into said unthreaded interior of the neck without engagement therewith and the annular sealing flange thereof is again in engagement with the outer extremity of the neck and clamped thereagainst by said clamping flange on the cap and with the conduit tube extending outwardly through said opening exteriorly of the container.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a removable cap extension of tapered form and of annularcross section extending outwardly through said cap opening and having an annular peripheral stop flange engaging the cap flange around said opening and being positioned between it and said sealing flange on the nipple.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a plug removably positioned in the outer end of said nipple when it extends outwardly through saidcap opening.

' References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 245,047 8/81 Banker 222539 1,881,772 10/32 Mass 222-539 X 1,931,032 10/33 Panfil 222539 2,534,434 12/50 Gersten 222539 2,597,593 5/52 Neuner 222 539 X l 2,780,397 2/57 Larrabee 222539 2,847,042 8/58 Edelmann 222211 X 2,895,654 7/59 Rieke 222-530 X FOREIGN PATENTS 226,142 12/59 Australia.

237,856 l/ 26 Great Britain.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER HAVING A TUBULAR NECK OF ANNULAR CROSS SECTION WITH AN OUTER EXTREMITY AND WITH AN EXTERIOR THREADED SURFACE AND AN INTERIOR UNTHREADED SURFACE, AND A CLOSURE AND CONDUIT DEVICE MOUNTED ON THE NECK; SAID CLOSURE AND CONDUIT DEVICE COMPRISING A CAP WITH A DEPENDING SKIRT OF ANNULAR TUBULAR CROSS SECTION HAVING A THREADED INNER SURFACE ADAPTED TO BE SCREWED ONTO SAID NECK SO AS TO SURROUND AND ENGAGE THE THREADED EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE NECK, SAID CAP HAVING AN INWARDLYDIRECTED, ANNULAR CLAMPING FLANGE SURROUNDING A CENTRAL OPENING, A CONDUIT TUBE HAVING AN AXIALLY-ALIGNED, THREDED NIPPLE ON ONE END OF ANNULAR CROSS SECTION WITH AN ANNULAR SEALING FLANGE SURROUNDING THE NIPPLE AT A POSITION SPACED AXIALLY INWARDLY FROM ITS EXTREMITY AND PROJECTING PERIPHERALLY THEREFROM, SAID NIPPLE BEING OF LESS DIAMETER THAN SAID CAP OPENING AND SAID UNTHREADED NECK INTERIOR, SAID CONDUIT TUBE BEING POSITIONED WITH ITS ANNULAR SEALING FLANGE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF THE NECK AND CLAMPED THEREAGAINST BY THE CLAMPING FLANGE ON THE CAP AND WITH ITS THREADED NIPPLE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING AND WITH THE CONDUIT TUBE EXTENDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER, SAID CONDUIT TUBE BEING ADAPTED TO BE REPOSITIONED WITH THE FLANGE AND THE NIPPLE REVERSED SO THAT THE NIPPLE EXTENDS INTO SAID UNTHREADED INTERIOR OF THE NECK WITHOUT ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH AND THE ANNULAR SEALING FLANGE THEREOF IS AGAIN IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF THE NECK AND CLAMPED THEREAGAINST BY SAID CLAMPING FLANGE ON THE CAP AND WITH THE CONDUIT TUBE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING EXTERIORLY OF THE CONTAINER. 